This thesis argues that fiction and eventually play, accumulating into the interactive fiction of video games, can offer a toolset to help cultivate familiarity and understanding between cultures....Show moreThis thesis argues that fiction and eventually play, accumulating into the interactive fiction of video games, can offer a toolset to help cultivate familiarity and understanding between cultures. In a world where cultures are living closer together than before, tensions between cultures are sure to rise. These tensions stem from a lack of shared context causing misinterpretations of the other. I will refer to the works of Wilhelm Dilthey and Robin Collingwood, who have both developed theories of hermeneutics that emphasise the importance of context as meaning-giving. Similar contexts provide similar meaning between people and vice versa. A lack in familiarity thus constitutes a lack in understanding, which poses a problem for the cross-cultural encounter. They suggest a hermeneutic method based on empathy in order to increase our understanding of others. In the second chapter, I will illustrate how fiction functions as both a tool to impart knowledge and as an exercise in empathy, which aids the hermeneutic process, drawing on Suzanne Keen’s theory of narrative empathy. When engaging with fiction, audiences temporarily abandon their own context in order to step into the alternate world of fiction. This encourages open-mindedness and empathic understanding of others, which both are of vital importance to the hermeneutic process. In the third chapter, I’ll move on play, showing how it, like fiction, demands a certain openness of mind from the player so they can step into the play-world, which makes play very well-suited to learning by doing. This section on play will be largely informed by Johan Huizinga and Miguel Sicart’s work on play and playfulness respectively. In requiring participation from its audience, they are absorbed into the other, the strange, and the new, and provided with tools to make sense of it. As an immersive and interactive medium, video games thus allow players to gain an intuitive understanding of other cultures on their own terms.Show less
Nepnieuws vormt een groeiend probleem. Op het internet en via social media worden nepnieuwsberichten op grote schaal en met enorme snelheid verspreid. Zulke berichten leiden ertoe dat burgers...Show moreNepnieuws vormt een groeiend probleem. Op het internet en via social media worden nepnieuwsberichten op grote schaal en met enorme snelheid verspreid. Zulke berichten leiden ertoe dat burgers verkeerd worden geïnformeerd. Het huidige tijdperk wordt ook wel aangeduid met de term ‘post-waarheid’, om te benadrukken dat gevoelens prevaleren boven feiten. Nepnieuws speelt veelal in op gevoelens; of de achterliggende beweegreden nu politiek of financieel is, het mechanisme van nepnieuws is vaak hetzelfde: een zo groot mogelijk bereik bewerkstelligen. Nepnieuws leidt ertoe dat publiek en ook volksvertegenwoordigers slechter geïnformeerd zijn. Wanneer nepnieuws, dat op gevoelens inspeelt en feiten verdraait of volledig ontkent, op grote schaal invloed heeft, gaat de kwaliteit van het publieke debat achteruit, terwijl een kwalitatief hoogwaardig publiek debat onontbeerlijk is voor een goed functionerende democratie. De democratie komt door de verspreiding van nepnieuws daarom uiteindelijk zelf in gevaar. Factchecken is een belangrijke methode om nepnieuws tegenwicht te bieden en het publiek beter te informeren. De stelling die in deze scriptie wordt ingenomen, is dat factchecken van groot belang is om de democratie te beschermen in een post-waarheidtijdperk, waarin nepnieuws alomtegenwoordig is. Het publieke debat kan niet zonder feiten en een correct geïnformeerd publiek.Show less
This thesis investigates two interrelated issues: the tendency of automated decision-making (ADM) systems to exacerbate gender bias, and the extent to which current European Data Protection...Show moreThis thesis investigates two interrelated issues: the tendency of automated decision-making (ADM) systems to exacerbate gender bias, and the extent to which current European Data Protection legislation (GDPR) both promises and delivers a right to explanation of decisions reached by those systems. The thesis has high philosophical and societal relevance, and engages fluently with a variety of important discourses: technical discussions of artificial intelligence, feminist scholarship, and commentaries on EU legal texts. After an introduction on machine learning and algorithms, the thesis moves to examinating those parts in the GDPR that address ADM, in order to clarify the way they are regulated. In the second and in the third chapter, problems such as the black box, different types of bias, technological design and neutrality are discussed. Gender bias are presented and many cases are discussed in order to provide reason of this growing phenomenon. A central topic of investigation is that of data representativeness, or how women data lack from our daily infrastructure at a point that discrimination normally occurs. This thesis ultimately seeks to provide a new framework for the introduction of a new feminist ethics of technology, that addresses bias and data collection in an intersectional way and especially that claims for new regulations to be discussed.Show less
This work critically assesses the idea of replacing political representation based on elections and politicians by big data-driven algorithms. The rapid digitalization and datafication of our world...Show moreThis work critically assesses the idea of replacing political representation based on elections and politicians by big data-driven algorithms. The rapid digitalization and datafication of our world is fuelling the debate on democratic theory. Can the potential of new ICTs be harnessed to work for the benefit of democracy? Using Gijs van Oenen’s account as base, I make the idea of algorithmic representation more concrete by introducing the concept of a Pocket Politician, and by exploring three scenarios of what this could look like. To further unpack this concept I apply two conceptual tools of the ‘constructivist turn’ in democratic theory: Fossen’s logical distinction between dyadic-triadic and Saward’s theory on the representative claim. By doing so, I show that such a new ‘algorithmic’ system of representation would go accompanied with the loss of human intentionality and the loss of visibility. (1) Algorithmic representation blurs the characterization of the citizens that are represented. It is no longer clear as what citizens are represented due to the non-human intentionality of algorithms. And (2) the performance of representation – the representative claims – will not be visible to the citizens, making it a non-transparent form of politics. Combined, these two concessions would restrict citizens’ ability to see and experience politics on both a sensory and mental level. I come back to the three scenarios of a Pocket Politician to discuss whether this is a problem. I argue that applying algorithmic representation could be beneficial for a democracy depending on its particular state and particular needs.Show less
Researchers and scientists believe that they are closer than ever to finding a cure for age-related diseases. Via technological innovations, they hope to ‘cure ageing’ once and for all. This would...Show moreResearchers and scientists believe that they are closer than ever to finding a cure for age-related diseases. Via technological innovations, they hope to ‘cure ageing’ once and for all. This would entail that the human biological lifespan could be extended indefinitely. Quests for immortality have a long record, and recent technological advancements brought immortality once again back in the spotlight. The time has come to critically assess what the consequences of such a technological development would be.Show less
This thesis will argue that our current conception of privacy is insufficient to properly survive the threats posed by technological innovation in modern society.
Since its inception, many changes to the concept of ‘autism’ have been suggested, by both autistic people and researchers. Recently, the number of people diagnosed with a form of autism has...Show moreSince its inception, many changes to the concept of ‘autism’ have been suggested, by both autistic people and researchers. Recently, the number of people diagnosed with a form of autism has increased, and a contemporary topic of discussion is whether it should be defined as a disorder, a mere human variation, or something else. As society is inclined to stigmatise eccentricity, it is important that the definition used does not harm autistic people, or misrepresent the large variety of their experiences. This thesis argues that the fifth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders’ (DSM-5) current conceptualisation of autism as ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’ is both inaccurate and dangerous. Definitions from all DSMs are described, and the motivations behind the changes between DSMs are considered, alongside arguments from a collection of philosophers. The conclusion is that the components ‘Spectrum’ and ‘Disorder’ in ‘ASD’ risk inciting stigmatisation and suggest a more uniform expression than autism actually has. Thus, an alternative definition much be found. This alternative, which could be pursued through further research, should give autistic people a way to think about their identity, and non-autistic people a way to accurately understand and describe the diverse autistic experiences, both negative and positive.Show less
This paper considers the morality that comes with the actions of autonomous AI-systems (AAA). AAA are becoming more autonomous and more intelligent every day, and are already part of our daily...Show moreThis paper considers the morality that comes with the actions of autonomous AI-systems (AAA). AAA are becoming more autonomous and more intelligent every day, and are already part of our daily lives in the form of decision support tools, all sorts of apps, or even self-driving cars and that is why they need a moral compass. Currently, implementing a moral compass into AAA is problematic since the current strategies, laws, principles, guidelines and moral codes do not suffice for solving the moral challenges that surround AAA and impact human lives. Two strategies are considered: Top-Down (TD) and Bottom-Up (BU) strategies. TD strategies use explicit rules that are programmed into AAA, and AAA are designed to follow these rules. BU strategies allow AAA to teach themselves the correct behaviour using feedback from the evaluation of their actions. The problems with TD strategies are that situational dilemmas require almost infinite lists of rules which account for every possible factor, and that a shorter set of rules will result in definitions that are too vague to be eligible for implementation in practise. The problems with BU strategies are that they provide limited transparency of the actions and reasoning behind these actions, and that it becomes harder to evaluate AAA’s moral compass. Furthermore, additional problems come with the moral compass of AAA. Understanding how to emulate the relevant human factors in the moral compass of AAA is difficult, and the moral compass of AAA should adapt to the changing and subjective moral compass of humans over time. This paper concludes that, currently, both TD and BU strategies for implementing a moral compass into AAA prove to be problematic, and that proper evaluation of AAA is difficult. Additionally, the moral compass of AAA becomes more problematic because the programmed moral compass differs from human reasoning and actions.Show less
The focus of this essay lies on analysing the relationship of hypnosis and consciousness. It is my claim that modernly held theories of hypnosis do not manage to fully account for all facets of...Show moreThe focus of this essay lies on analysing the relationship of hypnosis and consciousness. It is my claim that modernly held theories of hypnosis do not manage to fully account for all facets of this seeming psychological anomaly because they may be based on a faulty notion of consciousness. I will attempt to show what this notion of consciousness is and how the phenomenon of hypnosis challenges this notion. I will then propose the use of a radically different notion of consciousness by Julian Jaynes and show what a more successful theory of hypnosis based on this notion of consciousness might look like. I will briefly lay out the origins of hypnosis and why this phenomenon seems to carry with it a less than favourable image. I will isolate recurring classes of hypnotic phenomena and discuss what makes these phenomena so seemingly inexplicable (chapter 2). I will then move on to a discussion of our commonly held notion of consciousness and how it relates to hypnosis (chapter 3). The next step will be a discussion of different attempts at explaining hypnosis (chapter 4). Here I will point out the advantages as well as challenges of each of the theories presented, concluding that they all face difficulties based on their underlying notion of consciousness. Following this will be a discussion of Jaynes’s concept of consciousness, shedding light on the differences between his notion and the formerly discussed commonly held understanding of consciousness, as well as presenting potential criticisms of Jaynes’ idea (chapter 5). I will then present Jaynes’ theory of hypnosis, hoping to further flesh out, clarify and develop the different parts of his theory. This theory will then be shown to integrate the advantages of modern models of hypnosis while doing away with their formerly discussed challenges (chapter 6). Lastly, a brief conclusion with suggestions for further research is presented (chapter 7), followed by this essay’s bibliography (chapter 8).Show less
There is increasing awareness of the importance of the body in psychology and philosophy of mind. Embodied accounts of the self are promising in explaining the perceived unity and continuity...Show moreThere is increasing awareness of the importance of the body in psychology and philosophy of mind. Embodied accounts of the self are promising in explaining the perceived unity and continuity characteristic of it: the body provides spatiotemporal locatedness, and embodied experience provides relationships to and interaction with the environment. Given this emphasis on the body, it is surprising to find a lack of consideration of how the embodied self persists through time: as a three-dimensional entity, or rather as a four-dimensional one with temporal parts as well as spatial parts? Conversely, in discussions on persistence over time, a purely mental approach is dominant. I set out to detail the metaphysical debate on persistence, how it is typically applied to persons, and develop a novel account merging various influential lines of thought. The result is an embodied self as a perduring, bio-processual entity.Show less
Technological innovation is restructuring and helping shape the way society functions. The Internet revolutionised the way people could communicate with one another on a global and instant level....Show moreTechnological innovation is restructuring and helping shape the way society functions. The Internet revolutionised the way people could communicate with one another on a global and instant level. Just over a decade ago, the Bitcoin whitepaper published under the alias Satoshi Nakamoto opened up a whole new area of technological advancement. With the coming of Bitcoin came the introduction to blockchain. Creating a peer-to-peer transaction system, based on a decentralised network in which all participants contribute to the distributed ledger was a new way of looking at traditional payment mechanisms. Blockchain technology is transparent by nature and forms the basis of many opportunities - be it instant payments, placing our trust in algorithmic computing validation, and letting go of the idea that ‘trusted’ third parties – or intermediaries - are a necessity when it comes to transferring assets from one party toanother. Given the implications blockchain could have for the traditional financial industry, this thesis aims to explore the nature of blockchain technology and its new layer of trust within the financial sector.Show less
This essay discusses the process of virtualization and the increasing virtualization of social contact. More understanding of this topic is important because the effects of virtualization on human...Show moreThis essay discusses the process of virtualization and the increasing virtualization of social contact. More understanding of this topic is important because the effects of virtualization on human interactions are easily overlooked. First, Lévy’s definition of virtualization is presented to emphasize its liberating advantages. Then, Baricco’s conception of the ‘barbaric mutation’, which I think shows quite some similarities with virtualization, is introduced to elaborate on the disadvantages of this development. Dating-application Tinder is used as a case study to better understand and value these pros and cons. This ultimately leads to the idea that the virtualization of social interactions will increase, and I argue that we should be watchful for the diminuition of primary experience and a decrease in purposiveness.Show less
In this thesis Helmuth Plessner's view concerning natural artificiality is compared with with Andy Clark's view, with the aim to investigate if Clark can add something to Plessner.
Deze paper formuleert, aan de hand van een case study van een transgender, een fenomenologische kritiek op metafysische theorieën van persoonlijke identiteit. De kritiek richt zich in het bijzonder...Show moreDeze paper formuleert, aan de hand van een case study van een transgender, een fenomenologische kritiek op metafysische theorieën van persoonlijke identiteit. De kritiek richt zich in het bijzonder op de rol van het lichaam in het concept van persoonlijke identiteit. De kritiek wordt geformuleerd aan de hand van de theorie van Merleau-Ponty, door middel van de relatie tussen de ervaring en identiteit. De paper zal laten zien dat de fenomenologische kritiek niet van toepassing is op zogeheten ‘ik-theorieën’, maar wel op zogeheten ‘geest-theorieën’, ‘lichaams-theorieën’ en ‘substraat-theorieën’. In deze paper blijkt dat voor de geest-, lichaams-, en substraat-theorieën de relatie tussen lichaam en identiteit een dusdanig groot probleem vormt, dat ze zich aan zouden moeten passen om een concurrent te kunnen blijven van de ik-theorieën.Show less
Recently, it has been claimed that Homo neanderthalensis was capable of producing cave art. This is, however, merely one amongst a plethora of examples that arguably demonstrate their enhanced ...Show moreRecently, it has been claimed that Homo neanderthalensis was capable of producing cave art. This is, however, merely one amongst a plethora of examples that arguably demonstrate their enhanced (symbolic) cognitive capacities, usually attributed exclusively to Homo sapiens. This has led some researchers in cognitive archaeology to believe that the Neanderthal mind was essentially similar to ours, apart from a ‘final acquisition’. Such a mind, that is at least partly accessible via our understanding of ourselves, could subsequently serve as a kind of gateway through which past experiences can be reconstructed. However, a crucial aspect of the reconstruction of a ‘past mind’ involves projecting our own self-image of humans as conscious, thinking creatures. Such a self-image may very well contain features typically associated with modernity and which have been acquired only recently. Importantly, in reconstructing past minds researchers have to be aware of the dangers involved in using folk psychology and academic psychology as the normalized conceptual frameworks to interpret ancient minds with. In this thesis I will examine some of the strategies utilized to assess and reconstruct past minds and determine whether they are committing the so-called Flintstone’s fallacy. The Flintstone’s fallacy, in short, points toward the mistake of hastily projecting our self-understanding (or certain features belonging to it) onto past minds. The evaluative focus will be mainly put on the cognitive literature in archaeology, since this field attempts to combine cognitive theories with the available archaeological empirical evidence (mostly provided for by well-dated anatomic reconstructions, genetic profiles, technological artefacts, ‘art’, luxury items and religious artefacts).Show less
The internet and Social Media seem to have created new ways by which individuals communicate and foster new ideas. In this thesis I will explore how these changes may have impacted upon how...Show moreThe internet and Social Media seem to have created new ways by which individuals communicate and foster new ideas. In this thesis I will explore how these changes may have impacted upon how individuals and groups form and express political ideals. I will analyse how this has affected political agency. Are the ideals formed and expressed online a more accurate portrayal of the wide spectrum of opinion held within a constituency because the internet and social media seems to allow for a wider range of input? Or, does the emergence of so many voices online create difficulty for discerning consensus?Show less
Decennia geleden deed Spike Milligan een interessante uitspraak over geld en geluk. Hij zei: “Met geld kun je geen geluk kopen, maar het biedt je wel een aangenamere vorm van ellende”. Milligan...Show moreDecennia geleden deed Spike Milligan een interessante uitspraak over geld en geluk. Hij zei: “Met geld kun je geen geluk kopen, maar het biedt je wel een aangenamere vorm van ellende”. Milligan illustreerde met deze uitspraak de spanning die gepaard gaat met het moderne geluksbegrip. In de moderne tijd fixeren wij ons namelijk op consumptie van goederen om geluk te ervaren. De veronderstelling is blijkbaar dat behoeftebevrediging nodig is – en misschien zelfs een garantie is – voor geluk, en dat geluk dus geld moet kosten. Dit is een misvatting wanneer wij beseffen dat de bevrediging maar van korte duur is en er dus geen sprake is van waarlijk geluk, een begrip dat ik verderop in deze scriptie nader zal definiëren. Ook lijkt Milligan te suggereren dat waarlijk geluk onbereikbaar is en dat daarvoor in de plaats enkel ellende verzacht kan worden. Om het moderne geluksbegrip beter te begrijpen en kritische te benaderen heb ik mij voornamelijk geconcentreerd op Guy Debord en zijn kritiek op de spektakelmaatschappij en Arthur Schopenhauer en zijn metafysica van de wil. Ik heb Guy Debord gekozen vanwege zijn scherpzinnige analyse van de moderne gelukseconomie. Met zijn kritische analyse zijn wij namelijk in staat om moderne fenomenen zoals social media gedrag en uitbundige consumptie in relatie tot ons geluksbegrip uit te leggen. Schopenhauer daarentegen biedt vanuit de filosofie van de wil inzicht in onze geluksbeleving en formuleert een geluksbegrip dat niet gebaseerd is op behoeftebevrediging.Show less
